Defend the Egyptian revolution
An ad hoc group of organizations has issued this statement demanding an end to the brutal crackdown on protesters being carried out by the Egyptian military.
IN RECENT days, protesters demanding civilian rule in Egypt have again been murdered, maimed and tortured by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and the Interior Security Forces (ISF).
The conspiracy being brutally implemented in Egypt is part of a global conspiracy to suffocate mass movements for socio-economic justice and is being done with direct assistance of the American government and the private interests which direct that government. We have word from friends in Egypt that SCAF, ISF and their hired thugs--armed by ongoing shipments of $1.3 billion in weapons from the U.S. government--plan to execute one by one all the leaders of the revolution, and as many activists as they can.
Accordingly, we need to ensure that people and organizers in the U.S. and internationally are involved in closely monitoring the events unraveling in Egypt. By keeping track of the atrocities committed by SCAF and ISF, keeping track of those detained, tortured or targeted, and continuously contacting officials in Egypt and the U.S. to demand accountability, cessation of the atrocities and justice, we can add pressure on SCAF, ISF and the forces they represent. In this way, we may be able to play a role in helping save the lives of our Egyptian brothers and sisters.
Evidence of the conspiracy to execute the leaders and participants of the Egyptian freedom movement includes, in very small part, the following:
-- Sheikh Emad of Al Azhar was killed by a bullet entering his right side from short range. This was seen firsthand by witnesses known to members of our coalition. Sheikh Emad was one of a small number of Azhar Imams issuing decrees in support of the revolution. His murder was no accident.
Sally Tooma, Mona Seif, Ahdaf Soueif and Sanaa Seif, all female friends and relatives of imprisoned blogger and activist Alaa Abd El Fattah, and all known internationally for their political and/or literary work, were detained and beaten in the Cabinet building.
A woman protesting against General Tantawi, head of SCAF, was detained and then tortured by having the letter "T" in English carved into her scalp with knives.
Detainees are being tortured while in courtroom holding pens. Two men (Mohammad Muhiy Hussein is one of them) were killed in those pens.
These are only a small number of the horror stories we are hearing. And we continue to receive reports from Cairo about a massive army presence in Tahrir Square and the constant sound of gunshots.
In every way, Egypt's fight is our fight. Just like us, Egyptians are the 99 percent, fighting for social, political and economic justice. The same 1 percent that arms the Egyptian dictatorship commits systematic violence in this country against the Occupy movement; antiwar and solidarity activists; and Arabs, Muslims and other communities of color. As the U.S. Palestinian Community Network recently observed, "The same U.S.-made tear gas rains down on us in the streets of Oakland, Cairo and Bil'in."
Because of Egypt's key strategic location, the fate of its revolution echoes across the world. Its success will bring us all closer to achieving economic and social justice. But its defeat would be a major blow to social justice movements everywhere, including Occupy.
In short, Egypt is key to the continued success of the Arab Revolution and the movements she has inspired.
For all these reasons, we ask Occupy and all U.S. social justice activists to join us in mobilizing to defend our Egyptian brothers and sisters by immediately organizing mass convergences on Egyptian embassies, missions, consulates and at U.S. government offices, to demand:
Cancel all U.S. aid and shipment of military and police materiel to Egypt!
Stop the murders, tortures and detentions!
Release all detainees and political prisoners!
Immediate end to military rule in Egypt!
Issued by (list in formation):
Ad Hoc Coalition to Defend the Egyptian Revolution
Al-Awda NY: The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians
Egyptian Association for Change--NY
Existence is Resistance
International Socialist Organization
January 25 Solidarity for Democracy Network
Labor for Palestine
National Lawyers Guild--New York City Chapter
National Lawyers Guild, Muslim Defense Committee, New York
New York City Labor Against the War
Palestine Solidarity Network--Bay Area
Raha Iranian Feminist Collective
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
Siegebusters Working Group
April 6 Youth Movement America
Socialist Action
United National Antiwar Coalition
U.S. Palestinian Community Network
